At the end of 2025, the Council of the European Union agreed to apply a fixed customs duty of €3 on small parcels valued at less than €150 entering the EU, largely via e-commerce, from 1 July 2026. (see Council press release)
How the fee works
The EU assesses a €3 duty on each item type in a parcel. For example, a French buyer purchasing 1 CD, 2 cassettes, and 3 vinyl records from a seller in the US would be assessed a €9 fee (€3 x 3). These fees are not applied to digital purchases.
Example package | Customs duties applied |
5 T-shirts | €3 (1 item type) |
1 T-shirt and 1 CD | €6 (2 item types) |
1 tape and 4 LPs | €6 (2 item types) |
Who pays, and when
This fee is settled at the border between the carrier and the destination country, not through Bandcamp.
Sellers who prepay the duty with their carrier before shipping (often called DDP or PDDP) will make it easier for fans, because there will be nothing for the buyer to pay on delivery. If a seller hasn't prepaid, the parcel may be held at customs until the fee is settled, and in some countries, the buyer may be asked to pay it before the parcel is released.
Note: Depending on the carrier and destination country, a separate handling fee may also apply on receipt of an international package.
Getting your customs forms right
Packages entering the EU require Bandcamp's relevant VAT/IOSS IDs to clear customs. In some cases, these IDs must be submitted electronically, so check with your carrier before shipping. You can find these IDs in your seller receipt, in your packing slips, within the "print label" tool, and via the "Tax IDs and business information" link on your Merch Orders page.
Failure to fill out the proper customs forms or submit the tax IDs correctly may result in a second duty charge being assessed to the buyer when the item is delivered. Make sure the IOSS number is added to the shipping label electronically, not by hand.
Below are some guides from postal carriers on implementing these IDs when sending packages abroad: